A recurrring problem for parents and custodians of small infants in public places is the unavailability of suitable sanitary supporting surfaces or tables at a semiprivate location such as a restroom for diaper changing. A variety of baby handling devices and dressing tables have been developed including free standing convertible furniture pieces, and tables and boards for mounting on bathtubs and cribs. None of these devices, however, is adapted for use in semipublic places and are intended for use in the home. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,193 describes a portable dressing tray for babies which is placed for use on a surface such as a bed, table, commode, etc. The tray is not suitable for a public facility, cannot be folded into a mounted housing for storage, and must be transported by the user.
The Meilink U.S. Pat. No. 2,203,538 discloses a folding baby dressing table secured to a wall or door so that when out of use it may be positioned substantially flush against the surface of the wall or door. The changing surface is a fabric bed stretched on a "U" shaped frame pivotally mounted to the wall or door. The Meilink device suffers a number of disadvantages. The supporting surface does not provide a recessed base or other arrangement for restraining a child on the changing surface. There is no readily available method for providing a sanitary surface other than the awkward solution of changing the fabric bed itself stretched on the "U" shaped frame. The floor engaging strut does not provide a stable base and support for a moving child, not are there readily available shelves and receptacles for accessories. The suspended or hanging pockets are not readily available or visible to the parent or custodian who is dressing an infant on the support. Finally, the frame fabric bed cannot be folded into a housing enclosure for storage.